Fresh Manna, Kibos

Church was good today. The sun was hot on the iron sheet roof of the church in Kibos this morning. It is on our land, next to the rehabilitation centre, where we look after some of our children. The church was established pretty well 8 years ago this week, at Easter 2002. As we entered, the morning teaching session was in full swing, Hezbon had a blackboard and was sharing on praise, and how we should always praise, even in difficult times.

And my goodness, do these people know difficult times.

It's so easy to sit back and say how much we have compared to them, how much we take for granted compared to those who have none. It's easy to sit here and condemn the corruption in the government that means that international funds don't always get to the people who need it. But in the end who will make a difference if we don't. What is the point of being a light in the world, if we never go to places where there is darkness.

I shared a message from Mark 1:14-20. Jesus called ordinary people to follow him. Simon, Andrew, James, John. They were just ordinary guys who dropped out of school and learned the family trade.

But Jesus believed in them. He chose them to be his disciples, not some well schooled graduates of Rabbi college, but 4 fishermen. And he told them to follow him. To come after him. Even then, at the start of his ministry, he knew he was going away. And he wanted those who would follow him. To be his hands and his feet, to go to difficult places, to go where he would have gone.

Jesus believed in them, believed that they could be like him, believed that they could fill in when he wasn't around any more.

And for the people of Kibos and the kids on the streets of Kisumu, God has the same call - "I believe in you". You may have dropped out of school, you may not think you can be anything in life, but "I believe in you".

Whilst we are so busy feeling guilty for what we haven't done for God, kids are sat on the streets needing food, people are going back to their homes empty, with tears in their eyes, with sadness in their hearts. "and he will turn their mourning into laughter?"

We need to get the message to them - that God believes in them, and in all they can be.

And then we sang. Moses played his guitar and we sang and we danced and we celebrated all that Christ had done in our lives. We sang in Swahili and in English and then we sang in Luo. I didn't understand much, but I sang just the same. Because all around me people with nothing lifted their hands and their voices in praise and worship to the one person who has faith in them, the one who is a light in the darkness. And the ones who sang the loudest were the men of Kachok.

Kachok is the location of the city's rubbish dump. It is also home and workplace to far too many street boys, who eke out an existence picking amongst the rubbish for things that can be recycled or sold. The tiny money they earn is enough for some little food for the day. We started an outreach program in Kachok about 5 or 6 years ago. We have helped many boys off the tip, but there are many still there. And a number of them catch a bus to Kibos church every Sunday, to worship and to fellowship at our church. And they sing the loudest, they worship with their whole hearts, because they have found someone who loves them, someone who believes in them, someone to give them hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

After church we shared food. Chapati and green grams and rice.

Too soon the day is done, the rains came, lightening and thunder crashed around and the roads turned to rivers of red African mud.

Pity those sleeping out tonight.

Mark 1:16-20

16As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 18At once they left their nets and followed him.

19When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.